Fish bowl

ABSTRACT

The present invention is an article of manufacture comprising a dish and a marker moveably affixed upon or within the dish, wherein the marker can be moved with a utensil. In a preferred embodiment, a dish is constructed that has an inner section and an outer section, and a space between the two sections. The space is filled with a fluid in which markers that appeal to children, such as brightly colored fish. The markers contain a magnet which can be activated using flatware. The child uses his or her spoon to move the fish marker up the side of the dish. This teaches the child how to use a utensil and provides entertainment during mealtimes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the field of dishware, in particular todishware for children.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to dishware for children, and particularlyfor children who are learning to eat from dishware.

Parents and child caregivers frequently note that the capacity ofchildren, especially toddlers, to concentrate on a given task is verylimited. One often finds it very difficult to feed a toddler, and evenmore difficult to teach a toddler to feed himself or herself. Parentshave therefore tried many ways to teach a toddler to learn to useutensils, and many ways to urge a toddler to finish a meal, e.g. some bypromising sweets or candies after the meal, and some by scolding orthreat of punishment, neither of which is very satisfactory.

An interactive set of eating utensils and dishware may encourage a childto learn to use utensils and to eat his or her food, particularly if theinteraction can be made into a game or a contest. A child whose interestin food is weak will be encouraged to eat if the eating process itselfis made an enjoyable activity rather than a chore imposed on him by hisparents.

The present invention is a tool that teaches and encourages children toeat, particularly children who are beginning to learn mastery offlatware and the motions of moving food from a dish onto a utensil andsubsequently out of the dish into their mouths.

The invention involves a dish that contains magnetic markers which canbe moved around with a utensil. The markers can be any shape or color,for instance, the markers may comprise a school of brightly coloredfish. The fish can be moved with a utensil such as a spoon as a childscoops food into the spoon and moves the spoon up the side of the dish.

The child is encouraged and taught to eat by being encouraged to movethe fish up the side of the dish, and the food with it. Also, as thechild eats more food, more fish become visible in the bottom of the dishand the child can see them more easily to play with them. Additionally,multiple children may play games that encourage them to eat, forinstance, they may race to see who can get the fish to the top of thebowl first. In the case of a group, having a teaching tool aids positiveinteraction, as others in a group may come to the aid of and teach onein the group who is slow to master the technique.

Another group that may benefit from the present invention is that ofmentally handicapped older children, teens and adults who may needencouragement to eat.

While many attempts have been made in the prior art to modify eatingdishes or utensils for varying reasons, none of the art discussed belowteaches the present invention.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,202,423 teaches a toy simulated feeding dish thatsimulates the appearance of an observable liquid being consumed as aspoon is passed immediately adjacent thereto.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,409 teaches a toy spoon, and particularly a spoon soconstructed that it appears to be empty when held in one position andappears to be partly filled with something when held in anotherposition.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,118,321 teaches a utensil which has a feeding end and ahollow handle. A holding element is displaceable within the hollowelement relative to the feeding end between a revealing position, wherean end of the holding element that is decorated with imitation foodprojects over the feeding end, and a hidden position, where thedecorated end of the holding element is withdrawn and concealed withinthe hollow handle. A spring biases the holding element into the hiddenposition and a latch retains the holding element in the revealingposition. The holding element enters the revealing position duringwithdrawal of the utensil from a toy container and enters the hiddenposition during insertion of the feeding end into a doll's mouth.

U.S. Pat. No. 1,595,801 teaches a magnetized figure arranged to float ina bowl, or other receptacle filled with water, and made to balance withthe specific gravity of the water so that the least attraction willcause it to move up or down in the water; a magnetized stick or wandbeing employed to attract or repel the figure from without the bowl, themagnetic influence of the want being transmitted through the interposingsubstance of the bowl.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,377 teaches a high chair that has a tray that has asteel (ferromagnetic) core or insert layer sandwiched between durableplastic layers, to be used with children's dishware that has permanentmagnets in their bases or bottoms. The insert can be a sheet ofseven-gauge steel, with perforations to relieve some of the weight ofthe metal. The bottoms may incorporate two or more coin-shaped permanentmagnets.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,946 teaches an apparatus and method for simulatingthe feeding of a variety of food types to a child's baby doll. Theapparatus includes a spoon and a food container. The food container issegmented into three compartments, each of which contains a differentsimulated food type. Within each compartment is a cam assembly forinteraction with a cam follower that is disposed within a spindle thatis rotatably mounted within the bowl of the spoon. The outer surface ofthe spindle is configured to also represent food, where the types offood represented on the spindle in the bowl of the spoon are the samefood types that are simulated in the food container. When a childinserts the spoon into the food container, if the food displayed in thebowl of the spoon is not the same food type as that into which the spoonis inserted, the cam follower in the spindle interacts with the cam inthe food container to rotate the spindle such that upon extraction ofthe spoon from the food container, the bowl of the spoon now appears tocontain within it the same type of food as that into which it wasinserted.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,329 teaches an infant's food dish which includes asound unit which is enabled by a switch, the state of which can bechanged merely by bringing an object into proximity with the switch.Suitably the switch is magnetically operable and the object is themagnetized tip of a feeding utensil such as a spoon.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,885,681 teaches a feeding device for use by persons withlimited or no use of their arms, wherein a spoon is mounted onsupporting and counterbalancing levers and is associated with amouth-piece in such a manner that the user can manipulate the spoon tolift food from a dish, can then place the spoon on a fixed support andthen adjust the spoon to a position for convenient eating of the food.The spoon mounting includes an adjustable support for a counterbalancingspring. All the parts are mounted on a flat base which is adapted alsoto support the food dish.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,743,071 teaches a device and a method for the usethereof are disclosed for encouraging a child who is a poor eater to eatits food. The device includes a rim member having a contiguousperiphery, which defines a central opening, with the underside of therim member defining a securing portion adapted for securely mating witha peripheral edge portion of a container. A head member is mounted ontothe rim member with at least part of the head member being located in aplane above the central opening defined by the rim member. The headmember has at least one passageway defined therein, the passageway beingadapted to allow access therethrough into and beyond the central openingdefined by the rim member.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,591 teaches a combined spoon and toy for providingan incentive to small children to enjoy eating their food. The toy isintegrally interposed between the ladle and handle portions of thespoon.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,060 teaches a musical adapter for use with a nursingbottle comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, which twoportions being detachably joined together to form a single body. Anelectronic musical device of integrated circuits is disposed in theinterior space of the lower portion and is capable of producing amelodious tune upon the bottle being lifted or tipped up.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,626 teaches a stadium simulating bowl whichcomprises a base shell, a transparent cover shell and an illustratedflat cut in a shape so that it will substantially entirely cover thebase shell. The base shell, with the illustrated flat appropriatelycreased on top of it nests into the cover shell, which is weldedperipherally around the base of the two shells. The flat includes arectangular central area and four arms, each having two trapezoidal andone generally rectangular areas.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,325,211 teaches a decorative container for displayingitems in internal cavities and includes an inner container and an outercontainer, defining a hollow region there-between. The decorativecontainer further includes a plurality of dividers within the hollowregion separating the region into a plurality of internal cavities. Theouter container further includes a removable plate, configured toprovide access to each of the internal cavities, so that decorativeobjects within the internal cavities can be easily changed orrearranged. A method for decorating a container includes placing objectswithin the hollow region through an access opening and closing theaccess opening with a removable plate.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,859,137 teaches flatware and tableware having signalingmeans for aiding a visually impaired user in locating and retrievingfood from the tableware using the flatware. A signaling means assemblyis housed within the flatware handle, the assembly having a magnet and aspring. The tableware has a central food-receiving surface and a metalupper rim. Upon bringing the signaling means assembly of the flatwareinto close proximity with the tableware metal rim, a magnetic force isexchanged that pulls the magnet towards the tableware, compresses thespring, and serves as a guide to the user. After the flatware moves pastthe rim, the magnet oscillates upon the spring and causes the flatwareto vibrate. The vibrations generate a humming sound that signals to theuser that contact has been established.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,163,311 teaches active foodware which comprises at leasta plate unit that provides visual stimuli by having a power source and avisual sensory stimulating component to provide light emanating from theplate. Other devices can provide auditory and haptic stimuli. The plateunit can be a single component where the device and circuitry are allcontained in the unit and protected from water or can be two componentsan upper translucent plate and an underplate comprising the devices andcircuitry for directing light through the upper plate.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,717 teaches novelty dishware for serving food tochildren and implements associated with the dishware which function notonly as eating utensils but also as play pieces, so that the eatingprocess becomes a play activity which encourages eating. The dishware,which may be in bowl, plate or any other receptacle form adapted toaccommodate food, includes a rim constituted by an annular, transparentduct filled with liquid having glitter particles dispersed therein, aswell as a permanent-magnet piston. The piston is slidable in the duct toforce the liquid to circulate and thereby animate the particles tocreate a dynamic display. Each implement is provided with a transparenthandle that is filled with liquid having glitter particles dispersedtherein, the free end of the handle having a permanent magnet actuatorattached thereto. The actuator is magnetically linked to the piston whenthe free end of the handle is placed on the surface of the duct at aposition adjacent the piston, whereby sliding movement of the actuatoralong the surface of the duct is accompanied by sliding movement of thepiston within the duct to cause the liquid therein to circulate.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,354,331 and US publication 20030233753 teach a set ofinteractive eating utensils which includes a first eating utensil, suchas a spoon or other piece of cutlery, and a container for containingfood. The spoon or other cutlery piece has an embedded magnet thatproduces a magnetic field. The container is electrically operable andincludes an induction coil that is electrically operatively connected toa speaker for producing sound upon the interaction of the magnetic fieldof the magnet and an electromagnetic field of the induction coilgenerated upon passing of an electric current through the coil. Thecontainer has a moveable portion that moves in response to apredetermined set of conditions, such as failure of the induction coilmagnetic field to interact with first eating utensil magnetic field fora predetermined period of time.

While the prior art encompasses varying aspects of the presentinvention, none of the art cited above describes the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a dish and a marker moveably affixed upon orwithin the dish, wherein the marker can be moved with a utensil. Thepurpose of the invention is to teach and encourage users to eat from adish using a utensil. In a preferred embodiment, the marker is a shape,color and design that is appealing to toddlers and/or mentallyhandicapped persons. The marker contains a magnet, which allows a userto move the marker using a piece of flatware such as a spoon. The markerresides in a liquid substance such as mineral oil between two walls of aplastic dish ensemble, the top wall of which is clear.

In a preferred embodiment, the dish is a bowl and the utensil is aspoon. The bowl is filled with food and given to a user, along with aspoon. The user fills the spoon with food, for instance, applesauce,from the bowl containing the marker, then lifts the spoon up the side ofthe bowl, thereby guiding the marker up the side and at the same timeremoving food from the bowl. Removal of all or most of the applesaucefrom the bowl will reveal other markers in the bowl's bottom or sides.Alternately, the bowl may be used without food.

It is an object of the invention to teach children to eat usingutensils.

It is an object of the invention to provide an entertaining means toencourage children to eat.

It is an object of the invention to provide an incentive for children toeat.

It is an object of the invention to provide a meal time game for onechild or a group of children.

It is an object of the invention to provide a dish with a moveablemarker.

It is an object of the invention to provide a dish with a magneticmarker.

It is an object of the invention to provide a marker equipped with arare earth magnet that will operate with commonly used flatware.

It is an object of the invention to provide a marker equipped with aferrite magnet and to provide corresponding utensils equipped withferrite magnets.

It is an object of the invention to provide a marker that appeals tochildren.

It is an object of the invention to provide a number of markers in onedish.

It is an object of the invention to provide markers that vary in size,color, and design in one dish.

It is an object of the invention to provide a dish ensemble that may bedisassembled to allow for cleaning and/or for markers to be replaced.

It is an object of the invention to provide a dish that has a resealableopening.

It is an object of the invention to provide a reward means whichactivates when the dish rim detects the presence of the marker.

It is an object of the invention to provide a dish which has aninterlocking base that contains components suitable for playing music orlighting lights.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of the invention showing a bowlensemble with embedded moveable markers.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the invention demonstrating its use.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the invention showing different latching meansfor the ensemble.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be describedwith reference to FIGS. 1-4 of the drawings. Identical elements in thevarious figures are identified with the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of the invention, showing apreferred embodiment. The dish ensemble 100 with moveable marker 105 isshown with a bear-shaped moveable marker 110, a star-shaped moveablemarker 120, a mouse head-shaped moveable marker 130, and atractor-shaped moveable marker 140. The dish ensemble 100 with moveablemarker 105 has a bottom 150, an outside 160, an inside 170, and a rim180.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the dish ensemble 100 with moveable marker105. FIG. 2 shows the outer dish 200, which has an outer dish bottom210, an outer dish outside 220, an outer dish inner cavity 230, andouter dish opening 240, and an outer dish rim 250. Fish-shaped moveablemarkers 145 are shown in the bottom of the outer dish 200. The innerdish 300 is shown above the outer dish 200. Inner dish 300 has an innerdish bottom 310, inner dish outside 320, inner dish inside 330, innerdish opening 340, and inner dish rim 350.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the dish ensemble 100 may becomprised of two dishes nested together with a space between them. In apreferred embodiment, the space is filled with a fluid matrix in whichthe moveable markers 105 reside. The matrix and moveable markers aredisposed between the outer dish inner cavity 230 and the inner dishoutside 320. The moveable markers 105 contain a magnet which allow themto be manipulated within the matrix by application of a utensil that caninteract with the magnetic field produced by the magnet. In thepreferred embodiment, the material of the inner dish inside 330 istranslucent, so that the user may see the moveable markers 105. All fourwalls of the dish ensemble 100 may be translucent, or two or three ofthe walls may be translucent. The moveable marker 105 may be disposedanywhere in or on the dish ensemble 100.

The dish ensemble 100 with moveable marker 105 components may bemanufactured from any suitable material. In a preferred embodiment, theouter dish 200 and inner dish 300 are made from high-impact plastic, butany material may be used, including but not limited to, plastics,thermoplastics, rubbers, elastomers, glass, fiberglass, ceramics,fabric, animal or plant components, food, metals, wood or wood products,or any combination of these materials or any suitable materials devisedin the future.

The moveable marker 105 is preferably made from plastic, but may be madefrom any material, including but not limited to, plastics,thermoplastics, rubbers, elastomers, glass, fiberglass, ceramics,fabric, animal or plant components, food, metals, wood or wood products,or any combination of these materials or any suitable materials devisedin the future.

The moveable marker 105 may be any shape, size, design, or color, andthe magnet may be disposed anywhere on or in the marker, and maycomprise a small section of the marker or the entire marker, or anyproportion of the marker. The moveable marker may remain one color, ormay change color based on physical changes, such as the addition orremoval of heat. For instance, when a child consumes the hot food in hisdish, the movable marker may change from blue to pink. Or, if the dishhas been heated in the microwave, the child may be encouraged to consumehis food before the moveable marker turns color as the food cools. Themoveable marker may also glow in the dark, or use any other chemical orchemi-luminescent reaction that would produce a visible change.

The magnet of the moveable marker 105 may be anywhere in, on, orattached to the moveable marker 105, and is preferably a rare earthmagnet, but may be any magnetic material, including but not limited to,ceramic or ferrite magnets, alnico, ticonal, or injection moldedmagnets, electromagnets, and rare earth or lanthanoid magnets, includingbut not limited to samarium-cobalt and neodymium-iron-boron magnets, andany substance which may be magnetized to achieve the desired result.Alternatively, if a magnet is employed in a utensil for use with themoveable marker, the moveable marker may contain a substance that isattracted to the utensil magnet, such as but not limited to, iron.

The material of the matrix that the movable marker 105 moves in ispreferably a fluid such as mineral oil, but it may be any material whichallows movement, including but not limited to, mineral oil or otheroils, food, animal or plant components, glycerin, water, water with oil,(either emulsified or layered), sand or other glass product such as butnot limited to borosilicate beads, plastics or rubbers, wood or woodproducts, thermoplastics or elastomers, or any material which flows,even at elevated temperatures, due either to its chemical compositionand physical properties or to its shape, or any combinations of these orother materials listed above or materials which may become available inthe future. Alternately, the matrix may be devoid of added material andthe marker may move through air. The matrix material may any color orcombination of colors and may contain any type of decoration, includingbut not limited to glitter, confetti, glow-in-the-dark additives, orsmall plastic decorations such as stars or animal shapes. The moveablemarker 105 may be moveably attached to the dish or may be free-floatingthe fluid matrix.

FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating the dish ensemble 100 with moveablemarker 105 in use. FIGS. 3 a and 3 b both show the outer dish 200, whichhas an outer dish bottom 210, an outer dish outside 220, an outer dishinner cavity 230, and outer dish opening 240, and an outer dish rim 250.Fish-shaped moveable markers 145 are shown in the bottom of the outerdish 200. The inner dish 300 is shown latched to the outer dish 200using an interlocking rim mechanism 360. Inner dish 300 has an innerdish bottom 310, inner dish outside 320, inner dish inside 330, innerdish opening 340, and inner dish rim 350, and the dish ensemble rim 180.FIGS. 3 a and 3 b show food particles 380 in the outer dish inner cavity230, and on the utensil 370.

FIG. 3 illustrates the invention in use. A user scoops food onto autensil 370, such as a spoon, and slides the utensil 370 up the side ofthe dish ensemble 100. Moveable marker 105 is guided up the side of thedish ensemble 100 and may hit the ensemble rim 180. In one embodiment,when the moveable marker 105 contacts the ensemble rim 180, the rimdetects the movable marker 105 and activates a reward means. This rewardmeans could be, but is not limited to, sound or lights, for example, asong may play and/or lights flash when the moveable marker 105 contactsthe ensemble rim 180. Alternatively, the same reward may apply, butinstead of the moveable marker triggering the reward, the utensil 370may trigger the reward, either through means in the ensemble rim 180,through means in the utensil 370, or through a combination of theensemble rim 180 and the utensil 370. The activating means may bemechanical, electrical, magnetic, or electromagnetic. The reward may beanywhere on the dish ensemble 100, the moveable marker 105, or theutensil 370. Alternately, the dish ensemble 100 may have an interlockingbase, and the base may contain components suitable for playing music orlights.

FIGS. 4 a, 4 b, and 4 c are all a side view illustration various typesof latching mechanisms that may be used with the dish ensemble 100.FIGS. 4 a, 4 b, and 4 c all show the outer dish 200, the outer dishbottom 210, the outer dish outside 220, the outer dish inner cavity 230,and the outer dish rim 240. The inner dish 300 is shown with inner dishbottom 310, inner dish bottom 310, inner dish outside 320, inner dishinside 330, inner dish opening 340, and inner dish rim 350, and the dishensemble rim 180.

FIG. 4 a shows a sawtooth interlocking rim mechanism 362. FIG. 4 b showsa snap interlocking rim mechanism 364. FIG. 4 c shows a tongue andgroove interlocking rim mechanism 366. The interlocking mechanisms mayallow for temporary or permanent closure of the dish ensemble 100. Otherclosure methods for the dish ensemble may be used, including but notlimited to, other interlocking mechanisms, manufacturing or molding thedish ensemble 100 as one piece, using mechanisms that interlock with alid or cover, using clasps or flexible seals such as 0-rings or gaskets,or any combination of these methods.

An advantage to disassembling the dish ensemble 100 is that it may beeasier to clean; the inner dish 300 could be put in the dishwasherseparately. Additionally, multiple interchangeable inner dishes 300could be used with the outer dish 200 so that the dish ensemble 100could be used without washing each time between meals. The inner dish300 could be disposable or re-useable. The unit could be made microwavesafe, or, if the user doesn't want to place magnets in the microwave,the inner dish 300 could be microwaved separately and then fastened tothe outer dish 200. If the fluid in between the inner dish 300 and outerdish 200 is heated in the microwave, it could be used to keep food warm.Alternately, if it is cooled by placing the unit in the freezer, itcould keep food cold.

Although all four figures illustrate a round bowl as the dish ensemble100, and FIG. 3 illustrates the utensil 370 as a spoon, the dishensemble 100 may be any eating dish, such as but not limited to a plateor bowl, and may be any color, shape or size, such as but not limitedto, round, square, triangular, deep, shallow, doll-sized, child-sized,adult-sized, giant-sized, etc. The utensil 370 may be any utensil, suchas but not limited to, a fork, spoon, knife, or chop sticks, and may beany color, shape, or size, including but not limited to, doll-sized,child-sized, adult-sized, giant-sized, etc. The utensil 370 may be madefrom any material, including but not limited to, metal, plastics,rubbers, thermoplastics, elastomers, glass, fiberglass, ceramics,fabric, animal or plant components, food, metals, wood or wood products,or any combination of these materials or any suitable materials devisedin the future. In the case where the utensil material is not attractedto the magnetic marker, a magnet or other material that is attracted toa magnet may be embedded in the utensil, and it may be any size thatfits in the utensil and may be placed anywhere in, on, or attached tothe utensil.

The dish ensemble that employs rare earth magnets in the moveablemarkers is designed to be sold without utensils, as commonly usedflatware will interact with the rare earth magnets. In the case whereferrite or other magnets are used, such that both the moveable markersand utensil contain magnets and material that interacts with magnets,the dish ensemble with moveable markers and the utensil or utensils maybe sold separately or in sets. The utensils may be sold separately fromthe dish ensemble, and the moveable markers may be sold separately as astand-alone purchase.

The dish ensemble with moveable markers may be sold assembled or as akit that is put together after purchase. Alternately, the kit may have apartial set of parts for assembling the whole unit, for instance, thedish and moveable markers may be in the kit with instructions to buymineral oil separately to add.

An embodiment not shown in the figures would be to have multiplecompartments for the moveable markers 105 to ‘swim’ through. The childcould play with the markers by moving them through the maze ofcompartments. The compartments could be physical barriers or picturesprinted inside the fluid matrix between the inner dish 300 and outerdish 200, or they could be in the inner dish inside 330.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure hasbeen made only by way of illustration and that numerous changes in thedetails of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.

1. An article of manufacture, comprising: a dish; and a marker movablyaffixed upon or within the dish, wherein the maker can be moved with autensil.
 2. The article of claim 1, wherein the dish has an inner cavityand the marker is disposed within the cavity.
 3. The article of claim 1,wherein the marker has a magnet.
 4. The article of claim 1, wherein theutensil has a magnet.
 5. The article of claim 1 wherein the cavity isfilled with fluid.
 6. The article of claim 1, wherein the marker ismovably attached to the dish.
 7. The article of claim 1, wherein themarker is a fish, star, Moon, face, tractor, or train.
 8. The article ofclaim 5, wherein the fluid has glittered pieces.
 9. The article of claim1 wherein the dish is a bowl and the utensil is a spoon.
 10. The articleof claim 1, wherein the dish is a plate and the utensil is a knife orfork.
 11. The article of claim nine wherein the dish has outer and innerwalls, and the marker is disposed between the walls.
 12. The article ofclaim 11, wherein the inner wall is translucent.
 13. The article ofclaim 11, wherein the inner wall and the outer wall are translucent. 14.The article of claim 11 wherein the bull is made from high impactplastic.
 15. The article of claim 11, wherein the fluid is sealablycontained between the inner wall and the outer wall.
 16. The article ofclaim 11, wherein the bowl has a rim suitable for detecting the marker,and a reward means which activates when the bowl rim detects thepresence of the marker.
 17. The article of claim 11, wherein the bowlhas an interlocking base, and the base contains components suitable forplaying music or lighting lights.
 18. The article of claim 11, whereinthe bowl has a resealable opening.